Business Management Monthly News
September 2005
GENERAL INFORMATION -------------------------------------------------------------------------Human Resources and TIAA-CREF to Host Annual Employee Day
Date:
Time:
Location:
Game:
Saturday, September 24, 2005
11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Yale Bowl
Cornell vs. Yale
Join staff from Human Resources and TIAA-CREF on Saturday, September 24 for the seventh
annual Employee Day at the Yale Bowl, a day of fun for Yale employees, retirees and their
families. Each year, this event attracts 1,500 people. Visitors may enjoy a tasty lunch, cooked
and served by HR volunteers, before heading inside for the Cornell-Yale football game. This
event, free for all Yale employees, will be held in the Hospitality Village at the Bowl and will
begin at 11:00 a.m. Simply present your Yale ID at the gate. HR staff member Santo Galatioto
says, “It’s great to have employees and their families enjoying a day at the Bowl.”
Keep your eye out for the flyers promoting Employee Day, and if you have any further
questions, please contact Human Resources at 2-9822. In recognition of Yale employees and
retirees, TIAA-CREF will have giveaway items and will sponsor a raffle to win an iPod Shuffle.
Benefits Office staff will also be on hand to answer any benefits-related questions.
MEDEX Just Got Better!
Effective September 1, 2005, MEDEX, Yale’s Travel Assistance program, has been upgraded to
“MEDEX SECURE”. Along with the standard emergency medical and personal travel
assistance services we currently have with MEDEX, with MEDEX SECURE, all Yale students,
faculty, and staff will now have the added assurance of assistance with evacuations required
due to changes in security or political conditions, as well as “real-time” intelligence and other
security services in the event of a security emergency. This applies to everyone at Yale when
traveling 100 miles or more away from their permanent residence.
MEDEX, in partnership with Air Security International, updates and monitors security information
with real-time intelligence minute by minute as situations change. This information is available
to Yale members 24/7 by visiting the MEDEX “Hot Spots” website at
http://hotspots.airsecurity.com/me_hot1812.htm or by calling MEDEX directly from anywhere in
the world at the toll free number on your ID card.
With MEDEX SECURE, travel assistance is available to you if you are 100 miles or more away
from your permanent residence, regardless of whether you are traveling on University business.
MEDEX SECURE travel assistance is available for all your travel emergencies both at home
and abroad.
Although this is an upgrade to our existing program, the current MEDEX ID cards will not
change and will remain valid. If you currently have a MEDEX ID card with the group name of
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“YALE”, please continue to use that card. The Program Description Guide, however, will
change to reflect the new security definitions, benefits, and coverage terms and conditions.
Certain coverage terms and conditions do apply and should be understood prior to travel.
MEDEX ID cards and the MEDEX SECURE Program Description Guide (effective 9/01/05) are
available online at www.yale.edu/finance/controller/riskman/programs/medex.html or can be
picked up at the following locations:
 Risk Management, 2 Whitney Ave. (inside Treasury Services), 2-8258
 Yale Travel Services, 2 Whitney Ave., Room 207, 2-9962
 Yale Medical Travel, 789 Howard Ave., 688-6538
 Yale Travel Clinic HSC, 17 Hillhouse Ave., 2-0093
 Benefits Office, 155 Whitney Ave., 2-5550
For more information on this program or for bulk distribution please call Risk Management at 28258.
Weight Watchers at Work Program
A representative from Weight Watchers will be at the Yale School of Management to deliver a
free information/registration session on Thursday, September 15, at noon in room A48. With a
minimum of 15 prepaid members, Weight Watchers will run a 12-week At-Work series at SOM.
The cost for the series is $152 per person. Contact Diane Temple (diane.temple@yale.edu) if
you have any questions.
Fall Homebuyer Seminars
Yale University and People's Bank invite prospective homeowners to attend a FREE four-part
homebuyer information series. Find out how it may be possible to buy a home with a down
payment of 3 percent or less. The series covers these important aspects of getting a home
mortgage:
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







Step-by-Step Guide to Home Ownership
Getting Fiscally Fit: The Importance of Planning and Budgeting
Understanding Your Credit Report
Financing Your Home
Understanding the Mortgage Process
Selecting Your Home
The Importance of the Home Inspection
Mortgage Closing
Maintaining Your Home
Four evening seminars for prospective homeowners are scheduled. All sessions are held from 6
to 9 PM at 155 Whitney Avenue - Room 226
September session:
Tuesday and Thursday evenings
September 20, 22, 27, 29
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Or
October / November session:
Thursday evenings
October 20, 27; November 3, 10
Participants who complete all four sessions will receive a Home Ownership Education
Certificate!
Call now and register - seating is limited.
Call Bill Carney in Human Resource Benefits/Records Office at 2-5535, or 2-5539. To obtain
more information about the University-sponsored New Haven Homebuyer Program, e-mail
Bill.carney@yale.edu.
Help Build a "City of Readers"
Once again, Yale, United Way of Greater New Haven and New Haven Reads are working
together to help "build a city of readers" by encouraging Yale students, staff and faculty to
donate new or gently-used books for young people.
The Yale community is invited to drop off their books between September 10th and 17th in
special boxes at the following campus locations: all Yale libraries, the McDougal Center in HGS,
the Yale Health Plan, Payne-Whitney Gymnasium, the Medical School Rotunda, Harkness
Dining Hall, the Anlyan Center, the Hope Building, and other locations listed on the website at
http://www.yale.edu/unitedway/. The new or gently-used books will be distributed free of charge
to young people throughout Greater New Haven in classrooms, homeless shelters,
pediatricians' offices, camps, day care centers and at special events.
The "Day of Caring" Book Drive is being led this year by Diane Turner, associate University
librarian, in conjunction with the Library Staff Association. "I'm pleased to support this city-wide
effort in partnership with United Way and New Haven Reads," Turner said. "We truly believe all
children deserve books of their own and we're committed, as our posters say, to "Building a City
of Readers." Anyone interested in assisting with the book drive may contact Diane at 2-1810.
For more information about "Day of Caring," please call 752-1923 or visit http://www.uwgnh.org.
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HUMAN RESOURCES -------------------------------------------------------------------------Benefits Update
Changing Addresses
It is especially important that home addresses are correct. If you are moving or have done so
recently, please update your address information by accessing the Directory Revision form at
www.yale.edu/hronline/directory/revdir.html. This form will also be accessible via the self-service
site during open enrollment. Once you complete the form onscreen, you may print it out, sign it,
and fax or mail it to the Employee Records Office (155 Whitney Avenue). Or, you may complete
the form onscreen and email it to hris.usersupport@yale.edu.
Benefits Website (www.yale.edu/benefits)
The Yale Benefits website is your source for a variety of information on benefits programs and
opportunities available to you as a member of the Yale community. Here, you will find links to
news bulletins, enrollment and claim forms, vendor websites, as well as information on the
myriad of benefit programs available to you! Benefits information is organized by employee job
category (Clerical/Technical, Service/Maintenance, Managerial/Professional, Faculty, and Postdoctoral appointments) and information is listed for each benefit topic. Visit the site soon and
often!
Changes in Casual Pay Rates
Hiring departments, in accordance with guidelines established by Human Resources, set pay
rates for casual employees. Casual rates of pay have been administered in line with the clerical
and technical salary structure for comparable regular positions. Additionally, a separate casual
rate for non-Yale students working on campus had not been established in the past. Non-Yale
students have been paid at a rate at least equal to the minimum of the clerical and technical
salary structure as casual employees.
Given the broad spectrum of work and the time commitments expected of casual employees,
the casual wage structure will be decoupled from the clerical and technical salary structure
effective September 1, 2005. Casual rates will be reviewed annually and adjusted as necessary.
Effective September 1, 2005, the minimum hourly rates for non-student casual employees
performing work comparable to clerical and technical work will be:
Grade A $11.50
Grade B 12.75
Grade C 14.00
Grade D 15.25
Effective September 1, 2005, the minimum hourly rate for non-Yale college students is
$10.50 per hour, comparable to the entry rate for Yale students.
Effective September 1, 2005, the minimum hourly rate for high school students is $8.00 per
hour.
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The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) regulates employers’ activities, including Yale’s,
concerning hours of work; the payment of wages; minimum rates of pay; overtime payments
and record keeping requirements. Casual employees who perform non- exempt work
(comparable to the duties of clerical and technical) are subject to the provisions of the FLSA.
Getting Ready for Open Enrollment
Open enrollment is just around the corner and to help you get ready, here are answers to some
frequently-asked questions about this important annual event. This year, Open Enrollment
begins October 24 and the deadline for making all 2006 benefit elections, including flexible
spending accounts, is November 20, 2005.
Please be on the lookout over the next several weeks for Benefits Open Enrollment information,
which will include details on benefits information sessions (see below) and health plan
presentations.
Q: What is Open Enrollment?
A: Open Enrollment is an annual period for reviewing and adjusting your employee benefits.
During this period, you can enroll in new benefit programs or adjust your current participation for
the upcoming year.
Q: What if I don’t sign up during Open Enrollment?
A: If you do not adjust your benefits during Open Enrollment, you may update your coverage
only if you experience a change in family status (i.e., marriage, divorce, the death of a spouse,
the birth of a child, etc.). Find more details about family status change events at
http://www.yale.edu/hronline/benefits/qualevents.html.
Q. Do I have to fill out paper forms every year to make changes during open enrollment?
A. No. You can use the online Employee Self Service (see article below) via the web at:
http://www.yale.edu/hronline/selfservice>www.yale.edu/hronline/selfservice. The site will open
on October 24 and close at midnight on November 20.
Q. How will I know that my changes have been received via self-serve?
A. You will receive a confirmation via email notifying you that your election was received. Print
the confirmation and keep it in your files.
Q. What happens if I don’t make my benefit changes by November 20, 2005?
A. Your current benefits will remain the same, except for the Flexible Spending Account. A new
election must be made every year during open enrollment, in order to have an FSA for the new
calendar year.
Q. When will employees receive Open Enrollment information for 2006?
A. The 2006 Open Enrollment & Benefits newsletter will be sent in early October. Your
Employee Benefits Statement showing your 2005 benefits elections will be sent by mid-October.
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The Benefits Office will also post news and information on the Benefits web site.
Q. Is this also the time to change the amount or percentage that I am
contributing to my SRA?
A. You may change the amount that you are contributing to your SRA at any time during the
year; with a maximum of four changes per year.
Self-Service-Open Enrollment
Remember, the entire open enrollment process, including reviewing your benefits and making
changes, can be handled online. Employees simply log on with their NetID at
http://www.yale.edu/hronline/selfservice (available beginning October 24). In addition, a kiosk is
now available at 155 Whitney for employees to use during this open enrollment period. The
kiosk is located in the first floor lobby.
NetID Hints:
 All faculty and staff members are assigned a NetID, usually in the form of the employee’s
initials, followed by a number.
 The NetID is case sensitive – use lowercase letters when entering it.
 Visit http://www.yale.edu/netid>www.yale.edu/netid to establish your password if you have
not used your NetID before the Open Enrollment site will be live beginning October 24. The
Employee Benefits Statement and Open Enrollment information will be mailed as usual
for employees without Internet access or a NetID.
2005 Benefits Information Sessions
To help all employees make the most of this year’s open enrollment period, the Benefits Office
has scheduled several information sessions on campus. Benefits counselors and health and
dental plan representatives will be available to answer questions and provide guidance to all
employees looking to get the most out of their employee benefits.
Tuesday, October 25
Lobby
155 Whitney Avenue
10:00 am-2:00 pm
Wednesday, October 26
Harkness Lounge
Medical School, 367 Cedar Street
10:00 am-2:00 pm
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LEARNING CENTER AND OTHER TRAINING ---------------------------------------------------------WorkLife
WorkLife Series
Child Care Information Session
Nurturing Yourself is a Necessity, Not a Luxury
Introducing Flexible Scheduling to Your Department
Fundamentals of Handling Credit
Preventing Burnout
Surviving Divorce
Financial Aid for College Planning
Advocating for Children with Special Needs
Sep 12
Sep 13
Sep 20
Sep 21
Sep 27
Sep 29
Oct 5
Oct 21
Learning Center Classes
September
Making Your Resume Work for You
Recognition and Prevention of Sexual Harassment for Non-Supervisors
Developing an Exceptional Workplace Culture
Child Care Information Session
Nurturing Yourself is a Necessity, Not a Luxury
Cover Letter Workshop
Expressing Yourself: the Art of Being Understood
Introducing Flexible Scheduling to Your Department
What to Say and How to Say It for Supervisors and Managers
Fundamentals of Budgeting and Handling Credit
Preparing for the Job Interview
Principles and Practices of Contract Administration
Preventing Burnout
Strategies for Successful Time Management
Surviving Divorce
Sep 7
Sep 7
Sep 8
Sep 12
Sep 13
Sep 14
Sep 15
Sep 20
Sep 20
Sep 21
Sep 21, 28
Sep 22
Sep 27
Sep 29
Sep 29
October
Customer Service in a Multi-cultural Environment
Customer Service for Front Line Service Providers
Fundamentals of Diversity
Communication Day for Employees
Considering Guests With Disabilities When Planning Meetings and Events
Heading the Impact of Change
Open House with Vice President John Pepper and University Leaders
Oct 4
Oct 4
Oct 6
Oct 7
Oct 12
Oct 13
Oct 14
IT Computer Courses
Register at www.yale.edu/learningcenter
Operating System
Computers Made Easy
Surf the Web
Windows XP: Level 1
Sep 6
Sep 20
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Scheduling & Email
Eudora Pro Level 1
Introduction to Meeting Maker
Sep 26
Sep 20
Microsoft Office
Excel 2003: Level 1
Excel 2003: Level 2
Excel 2003: Level 3
Excel 2003: Formulas and Functions
Excel 2003: Database
PowerPoint 2003: Level 1
PowerPoint 2003: Level 2
Word 2003: Level 1
Word 2003: Level 2
Sep 12, 14
Oct 10, 12
Sep 1
Sep 28
Oct 4, 6
Sep 13, 15; Oct 11, 13
Sep 6, 8
Sep 6, 8; Oct 4,6
Oct 11, 13
Databases
Access 2003: Level 1
Access 2003: Level 2
Access: Understanding Database Design
Sep 12, 14; Oct 10, 12
Oct 10, 12
Sep 19
Desktop Publishing
Photoshop 8.0: Web Production
Sep 27
Website Design
HTML 4.01: Web Authoring - Level 1
JavaScript: Enhancing Web Pages
Web Editor: Dreamweaver MX: Level 1
Sep 7
Oct 5
Oct 12
Oracle Training
A complete list of Oracle training courses is at www.yale.edu/xtrain. Courses are grouped under
Procurement, Human Resources, General Accounting, Financial Planning & Reporting and
Other Training. Registered and approved participants are notified of course dates and time.
Procurement
Accuship
Corporate Express: Online Ordering of Office Supplies
Internet Procurement - Temporarily Suspended
Office Supplies: Online Ordering with Corporate Express
Procurement Inquiry (Responsibility Only)
Purchasing Card Training
Travel and Expense Reimbursement (Distributed Authority)
Simple Web Allocation Process (SWAP)
VIP Number Requests and Assignments
Web Invoice Payment (WIP)
Human Resources
C&T, Casual and Student Payroll
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Casual Employee Setup and General Employee Maintenance
View HR Records with Salaries Responsibility (Medical School Employees Only)
General Accounting
Custom Commitments Responsibility
Effort Reporting and Certification
Journal Entry/Staging Area (JSA)
Labor Distribution (LD)
Receipts Identification Form - Cash Receipts (RIF)
Financial Planning
Data Warehouse Reporting for HR/LD/Payroll
Data Warehouse Reporting for New Users
Introduction to Brio Query 6
Budgets--Grant and Contract Oracle Financial Analyzer (OFA)
Other Training
User Access TAC Training
Safety Training
Office of Environmental Health and Safety
135 College Street, Room 15 ▪ 7-2133
www.yale.edu/oehs/trainreq.htm
Biosafety Training
Bloodborne Pathogens Initial Training
Bloodborne Pathogens Annual Retraining
Laboratory Chemical Safety
Radiation Safety Orientation
Respiratory Protection
Safe Use of Biological Safety Cabinets
Safety Orientation for Non-Laboratory Personnel
Shipping and Transport of Hazardous Biological Agents
Tuberculosis Awareness
Sep 8, 28; Oct 18
Sep 14, 29; Oct 4, 19
Sep 13, 28; Oct 6, 18
Sep 13; Oct 6, 27
Sep 15, 27; Oct 13, 25
Sep 22; Oct 25
Sep 29; Oct 18
Sep 7; Oct 5
Sep 21; Oct 19
Sep 20; Oct 12
Web Training:
Bloodborne Pathogens for Laboratory Workers http://info.med.yale.edu/bbp/
Bloodborne Pathogens for Healthcare Workers http://learn.caim.yale.edu/bbp/clinical/index.html
Hazardous Chemical Waste Management http://info.med.yale.edu/chemhaz
Laboratory Chemical Safety http:info.med.yale.edu/chemsafe/
Tuberculosis Awareness http://www.yale.edu/oehs/TB/index.htm
Call 7-2133 to schedule the following courses:
 Advanced Biosafety Seminar
 Hazardous Chemical Waste Management
 Noise and Hearing Conservation
 Office Ergonomics
 Radiation Safety Survey/Spill Seminar
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PROCUREMENT ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------New Contract Listing Category: Catering
Recently, a University-wide committee partnered with Purchasing Services to create a list of
“black-tie” caterers. For those who coordinate University functions, access to such a list will
make it easier to select a reliable and reputable catering service.
“To help determine the appropriate suppliers for consideration, the committee developed helpful
data based upon actual usage. The committee noted that these caterers have consistently
provided high-end service for Yale functions and represent the best-of-the-best,” says Dee
Tousey, Senior Buyer.
In addition to gathering the recommendations of the Catering Committee, Purchasing Services
further ensures that each “black-tie” caterer meets the following criteria:



Labor rates held constant for one year
Insurance certificate approved and on file with Risk Management
Supplier’s quote matches invoiced amount
According to Kerry Murphy, Associate Director, “our goal is to not only provide the community
with helpful upfront catering information, but to allow them the opportunity to share with their
peers their satisfaction level of the chosen cater, once their function is over.”
For quick access to these caterers, please go to
http://www.yale.edu/procurement/contractlisting/commodity.html#Catering. Labor rates for each
supplier are available via the Contract Listing. We welcome your feedback on these and other
caterers at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=468941134938.
Note: Before hiring an outside catering service, be sure to consider using Yale Dining Services.
http://www.yale.edu/dining/services/catering.html
SciQuest, eProcurement Solution Update
When will SciQuest be available for use in departments?
By the end of July, SciQuest will be in use in 15 departments with over 150 pilot participants.
These pilot departments have placed hundreds of orders and are providing critical feedback on
the tool throughout the summer. Feedback during the pilot will help to ensure the success of
the new solution. We
How can I get ready to use SciQuest?
In advance of adopting SciQuest in your department, it is helpful for administrators to consider
who will be ordering, if approvals are needed - who will be approving orders and how best to
structure your VIP environment. We will provide business managers with detailed materials that
will share best practices and advise them on these and other decisions to ensure a successful
rollout.
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University staff that will be using SciQuest in the future but are not participating in the pilot
program should look to attend one of our planned large auditorium demonstration and
information sessions in the fall. Schedules for presentations will be available via the Business
Management Monthly News in the coming months.
Where can I learn more about SciQuest in advance?
For more information, visit www.yale.edu/sciquest.
New BUG Report for VIP Numbers Helps Reduce Invoice Errors
A new Data Warehouse report, “BUG710a,” has just been added to the BUG Report Library.
This report was created in direct response to the need to reduce invoice holds and bounces that
result from invalid VIP numbers, which account for approximately half of all invoice holds and
bounces.
Scott Lucker, Manager of Electronic Commerce, points out that, “this is a great tool for business
managers to help to correct common VIP data problems. Improving VIP data will ultimately
increase the likelihood of invoice accuracy and the ability to pay our suppliers promptly.”
Using this report, active and inactive VIP Numbers within a Division, Department, or
Organization can be researched. Additionally, the report can be run for valid or invalid VIP
Numbers sorted by VIP Number, VIP Owner, or Award. The report is also designed to be used
by departments to identify a combination of active VIP numbers with bad PTAEOs and/or VIP
Owners no longer working at the University.
For more information, please contact Scott Lucker at scott.lucker@yale.edu or 6-4184.
Scam Alert: Compliance Manuals from Wholesale Knowledge Medical
Please be on the alert for calls from “Wholesale Knowledge Medical.” This company is reported
to call to confirm Yale shipping information on erroneous orders for compliance manuals such
as HIPAA, etc. Their phone number is believed to be 514-282-5600 and the contact person’s
name is Falia Louis.
If you have any concerns regarding this supplier or a similar circumstance, contact Kerry
Murphy, Purchasing Services at kerry.murphy@yale.edu or 2-9982.
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ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES -----------------------------------------------------------------------------Campus Mail Tips:
Your Campus Mail Pick Up
Many departments have been using the blue U.S. mail collection boxes for all of their outgoing
mail because they didn't know they could give it to Campus Mail. Each morning when Campus
Mail staff delivers your mail, they also pick up your outgoing campus and U.S. mail.
Which should you use? If your mail must be postmarked that day and campus mail has already
picked up, by all means use the blue collection boxes. However, if your mail is ready before
Campus Mail picks up, give it to us. We will deliver it to the USPS Brewery Street terminal by
1:00 PM that same day. Even mail picked up from mail collection boxes does not reach the
Brewery Street post office in such record time!
Student Mail
Everyone at Yale with very few exceptions is required to use a post office box number for
receipt of their mail. This includes students. Please note this excerpt taken from the Student
Handbook:
Post Office Boxes
In order to receive mail on campus, all students are required by postal regulations to have a
post office box. An application for your Yale Station post office box, along with your assigned
box number, will be sent to you later in the summer.
Please be aware that U.S. mail sent to you at Yale which does not include your post office box
number will be subject to delay in delivery, and in some cases will be returned to the sender.
Encourage students not to use the words Yale University, a street address, room number or the
college or the dorm name or address.
Also, if an online vendor refuses your PO box number, leave off the "PO" and only use "Box _ _
_ _ _ _.” Don't forget to use the complete zip code. Orders should be received without delay
and any follow-up materials (invoices, catalogs, etc.) will also go right to you.
Personalized Stamps
This notice was found in a recent issue of PostalWatch News:
PITNEY BOWES AND ZAZZLE TEAM UP TO OFFER PERSONALIZED STAMPS - Hoover’s
Online - Personalized stamps are the result of an alliance between Pitney Bowes and Zazzle,
which sells customized products through its website, www.zazzle.com. Beginning today,
customers can upload personal photos to Zazzle's site, or use images already there, that will
form the base of their stamps. Pitney Bowes' contribution is proprietary software that
allows for a secured transfer of funds from the customer to the U.S. Postal Service, Broder
said. While the company isn't disclosing the terms of the deal, Pitney Bowes will be
compensated for the technology on a per-piece -- meaning stamp basis. The prices will vary,
depending on numbers ordered and shipping terms, but customers will pay about $17 for a
sheet of 20, 37-cent stamps, or about 85 cents per stamp. Zazzle will review all uploaded
images to make sure they meet USPS guidelines -- for example, no trademarked images like
corporate logos are allowed -- then print and ship them to the customer.
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FINANCE ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------REMINDER: June 2005 (JUN05-05) JSA / GL Closing Deadlines
August 2005 (AUG05-06) JSA/GL Closing Deadlines
August 31, Wednesday - Final AP daily push to the GL for August 2005.
September 2, Friday - 3 PM - Deadline for approval of SWAP transactions for the month of
August 2005.
September 2, Friday - 5 PM - Deadline for SFTP of external source system batches for the
month of August 2005.
September 6, Tuesday - 3 PM - Deadline for JSA authorization and LD distribution adjustments
for the month of August 2005.
September 7, Wednesday - 8:30 AM - Authorization may begin for September 2005 JSA
batches and LD distribution adjustments.
September 8, Thursday - First AP push to the GL for September 2005.
September 8, Thursday - 5 PM -August 2005 GL closing.
September 9, Friday - 8:30 AM - Final August 2005 GL balance information including fund
balance updates available in the Data Warehouse.
September 9, Friday morning - The Month End event begins in the DW Portal. Users scheduled
to receive Month End reports will get them throughout the day and possibly Monday.
This information along with scheduled outages and open issues are available at:
www.yale.edu/its/status
Cost Transfer Training and Certification
The last five years of dramatic growth in federal support for research has led to greater federal
scrutiny of grant and contract financial management. One of several areas of focus is cost
transfers, the shifting of previously incurred costs from one account to another. A recent issue
of Federal Grants News for Colleges and Universities reported the Department of Health and
Human Services’ Office of Inspector General’s conclusion, based on site visits conducted
between 2000 and 2002, that “Cost transfer policies tend to be nonexistent, incorrect, or
confusing, and the requirements for making appropriate cost transfers are often misunderstood
by institutional officials, especially PIs, and departmental administrators.”
This summer Yale undertook a review of its grant and contract-related cost transfer procedures
and practices. The Controller, General Counsel, Grants and Contracts Administration offices,
Grant and Contracts Financial Administration, Internal Audit, and grant and contract experts
across campus collaborated on this review. As a result, the Cost Transfer procedure is being
updated with several new requirements, some Oracle application modifications are being made
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to increase control over cost transfers, both labor and non-labor, and a major staff training and
certification effort has been prepared for roll-out to business office personnel in September
2005. Briefings are also being prepared for faculty and others. Many of our peer institutions are
instituting similar activities to ensure good management practices and compliance with sponsor
requirements.
We hope to get all individuals who prepare or approve cost transfers for labor or goods and
services trained and certified by the end of September. To retain processing capabilities in
Oracle systems for cost transfers of labor and non-labor charges effecting grants and contracts,
staff will be required to attend the training and pass a certification test.
Please watch your email for an announcement and information about how to enroll.
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INTERNATIONAL UPDATE ------------------------------------------------------------------------Social Security Accepts SS# Applications on Campus
Representatives from the New Haven office of the Social Security Administration will be on
campus to accept applications for a U.S. social security number from international Yale students
and scholars on:



Wednesday, September 7 from 10 am–noon, 155 Whitney, Room 323
Wednesday, September 14 from 1–2 pm, 246 Church Street, Room 209
Thursday, September 15 from 2-4 pm, McDougal Center, 320 York Street, Room 119
Applications may also be submitted directly to the SSA office at 150 Court Street. Details about
eligibility and the application procedure can be found in the August 2005 Business Management
Monthly News.
Puzzled by the H-1B Process? A Few Spaces Left for October Workshop
OISS is offering an H-1B workshop that will address the complexities of filing H-1B applications.
If you're new to preparing H-1B applications or want a refresher course, you will want to attend
this program. This workshop will be held on Wednesday, October 5th from 9:30 – 11:00 am in
the Whitney Humanities Center, Church and Wall Streets. If you are interested in attending this
workshop, please email Janice Pinkard at janice.pinkard@yale.edu.
Welcome and Orientation Program for Newly Arrived International Scholars -September 15
The Offices of International Affairs and International Students and Scholars cordially invite all
new international scholars to attend a special orientation session on Yale and the greater New
Haven area. These orientation sessions, designed to be of benefit to both the short-term visitor
and longer-term international scholar, will be held this summer on September 15tth. The
program, which is held at the Visitor Center at 149 Elm Street, begins at 8:30am with light
refreshments and is followed by a campus tour at 9:15 am. For additional information, please
contact OISS at 2-2305 or oiss@yale.edu. International scholars under Yale's visa sponsorship
must also be sure to visit OISS upon arrival.
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OTHER ADMINISTRATION ------------------------------------------------------------------------Annual Oracle Upgrade Notice
Each fall, maintenance is done to keep Yale’s Payroll applications up-to-date and to maintain
reliable service of the Oracle Financial, Human Resources, Procurement and Reporting
applications that provide the underpinnings of many of Yale’s administrative systems. This
article summarizes the expected impact on units across the University.
The scope of this year’s upgrade is slightly greater than last year’s and will have a marginal
impact across several of the Oracle modules. The changes users can expect to see, based on
all the testing that has occurred to date, are as follows:
Procurement Inquiry, Simple Web Allocations Process (SWAP), Web Invoice Payment
(WIP): No changes except List of Values (LOV) icons have changed from a flashlight (
an upward arrowhead (
).
) to
Internet Procurement: Internet Procurement will be discontinued in conjunction with the
upgrade. Procurement is currently piloting a new e-Procurement solution, SciQuest, to replace
Internet Procurement. SciQuest provides much more robust functionality, including the ability to
search contract vendors’ catalogs, route requisitions for approval, and transfer purchase orders
directly to vendors electronically. Departments actively using Internet Procurement are in the
process of transitioning to SciQuest.
Data Warehouse:
-Functionality: No changes are being made to standard reports, the Data Warehouse Portal, or
the BUG Library.
-Departmental Reports: Data Warehouse users with critical personal and departmental queries
and reports are encouraged to test them to ensure they will work correctly following the
upgrade. Information on what, how and when to test will be provided to Data Warehouse users
in early September.
JSA: JSA enhanced the Enter Journals Workbench forms with improvements to help enter and
manage journals.
–
–
–
The forms were made larger to display more data:
Error correction Identification for FTP batches made easier. The reference field used
to identify FTP batches into the JSA has been moved to the main journals screen. This
will allow users easier access to the error correction process
More Information available on the Journal listing form. This will make it easier for users
to find specific batches.
The JSA changes are cosmetic in nature and none of the underlying functionality on these
forms has changed. More specific detail on these changes will communicated as we get closer
to the fall implementation.
Labor Distribution: There will be no changes to the LD forms/screens or the underlying
functionality of these forms during the fall upgrade. A project has been identified for later in FY
06 to adopt improved LD functionality. More information on that project will be shared as it
becomes available later in the year.
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Other information about the upgrade
When will these changes occur?
The production cut over will be performed over a weekend in order to minimize interruption to
daily activity. The weekend this is scheduled for is November 10th. The Financial, Human
Resources, Procurement and Reporting applications will not be available from Thursday
afternoon November 10th through Sunday November 13.
Testing Requirements
As recommended above, end-users with critical personal and departmental DWH queries and
reports should plan on testing them during the month of September.
As in the past, if you are an interface owner these will need to be tested. There will be
additional communication regarding the coordination of these activities but you should be
preparing and planning to test these during September and early October.
Training
The extent of re-training that will be needed and how this will be approached is still being
determined. As the upgrade date gets closer you can expect additional communications
regarding training opportunities.
Questions
Any questions on the Oracle upgrade should be directed to Laura Craft at laura.craft@yale.edu
or 2-8454.
BrioQuery 5 Obsolescence and Phase-Out
Important for all current BrioQuery 5 users: there is a need to phase out the use of
BrioQuery Version 5 at the University. Shortly after acquiring BrioQuery almost two years ago,
Hyperion (BrioQuery’s new owner) made the decision to drop support for Version 5 of the
BrioQuery software.
What does this mean for users?
While today, BrioQuery Version 5 continues to work as it always has, a change in external
factors, like the release of a critical operating system upgrade or security patch by Microsoft, or
changes in database structures by Oracle, could potentially cause Version 5 to fail. Without
Hyperion’s support, there will be no remedial action taken. If this were to occur, anyone whose
work relies on BrioQuery Version 5 to run queries for critical business reporting could be
suddenly and severely impacted. In order to avoid this kind of interruption, it’s important
that you convert all of your Version 5 queries to Version 6 as soon as possible.
Many departments and business units have already converted many (if not all) of their
departmental and shared queries. We recognize, however, that some departments or individual
users may need additional query conversion support. To meet this need, resources in all key
reporting areas able to assist with query conversions will be made available from now until
December 20, 2005. After this date, support at Yale for BrioQuery 5 will be limited, since
available resources will be focused on Version 6 and beyond.
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Data Warehouse query users should consult documentation at
www.yale.edu/finance/ias/oim/documents/Brio6Upgrade-ConvertingAdHocBrios.doc for
information on converting Brio queries. E-mail dw.usersupport@yale.edu if you have questions
or need assistance.
Other Resources:
ITS Help Desk: call 2-9000; email helpdesk@yale.edu
ITS-Med Help Desk: call 785-3200; email itsmed.helpdesk@med.yale.edu
Financial Support Services: email ga.usersupport@yale.edu
If you’re new to BrioQuery 6 and need training, go directly to X-train to register online at
www.yale.edu/xtrain, and then choose Financial Planning and Management category or contact
the Learning Center at 2-5660.
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